The original version of this recipe was first published in 1880. According to John Thorne, "This may be the earliest printed recipe for chili con carne and it is surprisingly authentic, save for the suspect addition of `espagnole,' a white sauce seasoned with ham, carrot, onion, celery, and clove." Mrs. Owen wrote, incorrectly: "This might be called the national dish of Mexico. Literally, it means `pepper with meat,' and when prepared to suit the taste of the average Mexican, is not misnamed." We have revised the recipe to add ingredient amounts, which, in the recipe-writing fashion of the day, Mrs. Owen omitted. We have retained most of Mrs. Owen’s original instructions.

This rice recipe makes a very colorful, fragrant dish that goes well with the mutton soup recipe found here. Remember to use coconut milk, not canned coconut cream, which is too sweet. Find more recipes and read about Dave DeWitt's Singapore trip in the article Singapore Fling By Dave De Witt

If the weather is lousy outside, then pan-frying a thick porterhouse steak right in the kitchen is a great way to go. The key to success is a big cast-iron skillet. It'll cause a good bit of smoke in the kitchen, but it&rquo;s worth it. Let the cooked steaks rest on a board while you make the special Lynchburg pan sauce.

Sometimes called "the bouillabaisse of Hungary," Paprika Fish Soup is simplicity itself. It originated centuries ago with the fishermen who cooked it in big metal pots over campfires on the embankments of Hungary’s great rivers, including the Danube. In Hungary this fish soup often contains several kinds of local fresh fish—carp, catfish, sterlet, pike, perch, bream, whatever is available as the catch of the day.

Sambal is becoming more common, a spicy Malaysian chile paste that is widely used for a lot of Asian cuisine. You can find it in the Asian food aisle of any well-stocked grocery store. A generally straightforward mix of chiles, salt and vinegar (some have garlic and/or sugar), sambal can best be described as an Asian harrissa. It’s different from Sriracha in that it is nice and chunky with lots of seeds and bits of chile. It makes for a great shortcut to Arrabbiata and here’s the simple way to do it.

It may seem like cheating, but I like to use canned curry paste for this dish since it avoids the work of chopping and pounding that homemade curry paste involves. This dish takes its name from the northern Malaysian port city, but in Thailand the sauce is creamier and richer than the dry dark curries popular there.